Building construction



March 7, 1944. R. B. FULLER. 25343764 BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed March21, 1941 10 Sheets-Sheet 1 n' l l I Jil HI mul en un .HL nl' V l ELI!!QQ lNEN-ro R R/cHARo BucKM/NsTf/r FULLER BY ATTORNEY MaNhZ 1944. R. BFULLER 2,343,764

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION y FiledMarch 21A., 1941 I0 Sheets-Sheet 2 Mardi 7,1944- R. B. FULLER BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 21, 1941 10Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR RICHARD BuclfM//vsm FULLER 'BY M ATTORNEY y R.B. FULLER l 2,343,764

BUILDING CONSTRUCTIN med Maren 21, 1941 1o sheets-,sheet 4 fg @ff/f.Yfum- 7K/ y l y 24 K? i fr sin Z; 'INVENTOR /cHARoBu/f-MwsT-ER FULLER l2161!- mw ATTORNEY R. B. FULL-ER BUILDING CONSTRUCTION FiledvMarch 21,'1941 mmh 7, 1944.

A 10 Sheets-Sheet 5 vINVENTCR 'A cHA/PD BucKM/Msrfk FULLER.

f. ,IAM

ATToRNEY March 7, 1944. R. B. FULLER 2,343,764

` BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 21, 1941 10 Sheets-Sheet 6 vINVENTORl RlcHARo Bumm/sm? Puur/r VBYJ' I I ATT RNEY March 7', 1944. R`B, FULLER 2,343,754

v BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 21, 1941 1o sheets-sheet 7 INVENTOR0 J Plc/IARD BucKM/AsTER F 111.41m`

Ummm l M l ATTORNEY.

. B. FULLER y l 2,343,764

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION File March 21. 1941 1o sheets-sheet 8 mvENTon tlcHARo BucKM//vsme FULLER ATTORNEY March 7, 1944. R B, FULLER BUILDINGCONSTRUCTION Filed March 21, 1941 10 Sheets-Sheet 9 INVENTOR Flc/JARDBUc/fM/NSTER FULLER n ATTQRN EY BUILDING CONSTRUCTION Filed March 21,1941 10 Sheets-Sheet 10 KM] y ',lNvl-:Non

F/CHARD Buc/fM/Nsm? FULLER fuggi @/ic ATTORN EY l Patented ne. '7, 19441 2,343,764

UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE BUILDING coNs'rnUc'rIoN t melma nuekinmstermet, New Yerk, N. Y.; as-

signor' to The Dymaxion Company, Inc., Wilmington, Del., a corporationof Delaware Application March 2l, 1941, Serial No. 384,509

' 7 claims.` (ci. iss-34) v E y tion shown in the accompanying drawings,in`

This invention relates to prefabricated buildings, and more particularlyto prefabricated shelter units capable of quick erection at low cost.

A considerable eiort is being made and has a description of theembodiments of my inven- Figure 1 is a iront elevation of a housing unitconstructed in accordance with my invention.

been made in the past to develop a truly low costf Figure 2 is a planview partly broken away to housing unit that would'be capable of massproshow a built up floor for such a housing unit. duction. Most of'suchhousing units, however, Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view onfanenhave conformed more or less strictly to convenlarged scale oi adetail, taken on the line 3-3 tional architectural concepts o! housingunits, of Figure 2, to show the Junction Of the 11001' the 'principlesoi which have made it extremely l0 with the sidewall.

' diiilcult to produce prefabricated houses capable Figure 4 is avertical sectional view ofthe base of rapid mass production and easyerection in a layer of the iloor, taken on the line 4-4 of Figfew hourstime. v p ure 2. A

The problem is not simplified by the fact that Figure 5 is a fractionalhorizontal sectional l such buildings must aiiord not only goodprotecview showing the laminated structure'of the tion against theweather, but should also provide curved side walls. comfortable as wellas conveniently arranged liv- Figures 6, 7 and 8 are fractional verticalsecing quarters. tional views of the wall structure showing the Oneobject 4of my invention is to provide a bottom, intermediate and top ofthe side walls, shelter unit or building having curved walls thatrespectively, said views being taken approximateanswers theserequirements and does not require ly on the line :r-:i: of Figure 5. theuse of the ordinary internal framework or Figure 9 is a fractionalvertical sectional view, stress members. taken on about the line 9-9 ofFigure 5.

A further object is the provision oi a shelter Figure 10 is an elevationofv a section of a slotunit of generally curved shape composed ci `a 25ted channel bar that may be attached to 'the laminated shell, thediierent layers of which side walls as shown in Figures 5-8. strengthenthe other -layers by reason of their Figure 11 is a top plan view of awall bracket manner of assembly and the curvature of the that may beSupported by the channel bar Shown Shellin Figure 10.

Another object is the provision of a shelter unit Figure 12 is avertical sectional view showing a in which an outer curved shell ofsheet material shelf supported by one 0f these brackets xed iSstrengthened and held more rigidly in place by in the slotted channelbar. sheets of resilient material sprung and held in Figure. 13 is arear elevation of one oi' the the sprung position against the inside ofthe sheet e brackets that may be used for supporting shelves,

. material 35 cabinets or other wall fixtures.

A further object of the invention is 'the provi- Figure 14 is avertical`sectional view through sion of a novel floor structure for abuilding that the eave portion of the building shell or wall. is weatherprooi* and capable of quick assembly at Figure 15 is a verticalsectional View through 10W 00st fram Standard Sheetmaterialsapproximately the center of one of the roer Another oblect isthe provision of a building 40 Panam .l having a curved' Side WalLNoland a Curved Figure 16 is a fractional seetiomu view, taken GavePortion conneftin the roof a11d Side Wall en the une lt-ls ef Figure 15,te shew the that reinforces the entire structure. manner m which theroof panels and insulation A further objectvof the invention is the prO-are joined. vision of low cost housing units capable of pre- Figure'l'l.is a plan view of one of the rooi fabrication on a large scale, quickassembly, and pane1s l Y of being demountable for re-assembly at a diffFigure 18 is a fractional sectional view thrugh ferent loatiOnone oitheroof panel 'apertures forlight, taken Further objects of theinvention are the proon the line |3' |3 of Figure 17 vision 0f an'adjustable ventilator system and 50 Figure 19 is avertical sectionalviewthrough a mevebie partitions for ,Such a 'Shelter'unit 0r centrauymeated'vntilater at the top 4et the more.

building. ,d Figurev 20 is a fractional vertical sectional view Otherobjects and advantages of the invenof'a door frame, taken .on the lineIG-IB of tion will be described and will be apparent from Figure 1. f i

Figure 21 is a fractionalhorlzontal sectional the side wall of thebuilding shown in Figure 24.

Figure 26 is a fractional vertical sectional view of the side wall,taken approximately on the line 25-26 of Figure 25.

Figure 27 is a fractional vertical sectional view 21--21 of Figure 25.

Figure 28 is a vertical sectional view of a,de tail of the wallstructure. taken onV the line -2l of Figure 26,

Figure 29 is a vertical sectional view through the eave and roof portionoi' the building shown in Figure 24.

Figure 30 is a plan view of a portion ot one of the roof sections. r

Figure 31 is a perspective view of the lower portion of one of the roofsections.

Figure 32 is a vertical sectional view through a modified ventilator for.the building shown in Figure 24.

Figure 33 is a partially diagrammatic view of the interior of thisbuilding to illustrate a modilied movable partition arrangement.

The embodiment of my invention illustratedin Figures 1 to 21 of thedrawings is composed of a number of rectangular sheets I of suitablesheet material, such as a lightweight plain or corrugated galvanizedsteel or other metal, curved to form, when assembled, a substantiallycylindrical shell. Three horizontal rows of such sheets are shown inFigure 1, although a small or larger number` of rows may be used, andthese sheets preferably overlap each other, with the upperp most sheetoverlapping the sheet below it, and

the vertical edges overlapping each other. The sheets I0 may be boltedtogether where they overlap by means of the bolts I I" and nuts I2 shownin Figures to 8. A suitable anchoring means, such as the angle ironposts I3, may be driven into the of the side wall, Ataken approximatelyon the line II are preferably bent inwardly at right angles to form theinwardly projecting flange Il and the outer curved edges of the baselayer door sheets I4 may belald on top of this inwardly projecting nangeand sealed with a suitable asphaltic mastic Ila or other suitablematerial.

On top of sheets I4 may be placed a layer of flat sheet material. Thissecond layer may be composed, for example, of a number of rectangularsheets Il oi' a suitable insulating board of more or less'porous orsolid construction, with these rectangular sheets extending in a generaldirection at right angles to the direction of the sheets Il. 'I'hesesheets Il may be laid with their edges abutting each other or, ifdesired, the,edges may be grooved and overlapped. In order to provide asweater-proof afioor as possible, I prefer to coat, as by spraying ordipping. the sheets I 6 with a suitable asphaltum composition beforethey are laid in place.

A third layer may be applied on top of the sheets I 6 composed of alplurality of rectangular sheets I'I of pressed wool, plywood or othersuitable finishing material. 'I'hese sheets II may be of generallyrectangular shape, except for their curved outer edges, and laid ina.general direction extending at right angles to the direction of groundaround the lower edge of the lower row of .sheets I0 and bolted to thesheets to hold them securely in place during and after erection of theunit. 'I'he sheets I0 are also preferably staggered with respect to theadjacent horizontal rows oi' sheets.

Referring now more particularly to Figures 2. 3 and 4, a concrete orother permanent type of flooring may be provided for the building,although a more portable form of flooring may be used consisting` of alower layer of sheet metal or other strong sheet material such ascorrugated sheets of galvanized steel I4. These sheets may be generallyrectangular in shape except for their outer edges which are curved toproduce a generally circular floor, andthe sheets Il are preferably laidwith their sides and ends overlappingthe sheets I8 or, in other words,in the same general direction as the bottom layer of sheets Il. 'I'hesheets I 0 and I1-may thus be arranged so that the joints of thedifferent layers do not coincide in any portion of the floor.

This top layer of pressed wood, plywood or similar material may, ifdesired, be held in place by means of a suitable adhesive between thesheets II and Il, and if-desired a water-proof paper. canvas or layer ofsimilar material may be interposed between the sheets I8 and the sheetsI1. This provides a floor with a suitable finish for direct use,although if desired it may be covered, of course, by linoleum or othersuitable floor coverings. I

The use of corrugated sheet metal' for one layer of the floor furnishesa certain amount of resiliency to the floor. and, in addition, thesheets' to each by reason of the corrugations. Such' sheets are alsoeasier to4 lay ilat on the' earth because the earth may be ,readilyconformed to their under surface.

While the outer edges of the sheets I8 and II may extend into contactwith the side sheets I0, it is preferable to leave a small clearance atthis point to prevent subsequent buckling of the sheets I8 and I'I afterthe floor is laid. l

Provision may also be made under the floor for heating by the use of acoil of pipe as shown in dotted lines at Hb in Figure 2. Buch a coil maybe conveniently connected to the hotwater supply so that hot waterpasses through the coil before reaching faucets or other outlets in thebuilding. By placing such a heating coil under the metal floor sheetsI4, the heat is uniformly distributed by the high conductivity of thesesheets over the entire iloor. If such a heating arrangement is employed,the various layers of the floor should not have too great'an insulatingother suitable foundation may be provided for them. l

The lower edges of the lower row of said sheets effect mit shoum beconstructenpf materials that vwill allow the heat to pass through intothe'room.

The side wall structure may be 'composed of the curved sheets I0 ofsuitable material such as corrugated galvanized sheet steel as describedabove, these sheets being'held together where they overlap each other bymeans of the bolts Il and the asesores nuts I2. Suitable water-proofingor sealing means may be applied at these joints if desired.

The Vbolts II preferably project a substantial distance into thebuilding, and when the sheets lIII are of generally rectangular shapeand arranged in staggered fashion, additional inwardly projecting boltsmay be afllxed to the centers of may, if desired, be special roundheadedhflnsh nuts that conceal entirely the ends of the bolts thesesheets to provide evenly spaced vertical rows'of inwardly projectingbolts around the side walls.

Suitable insulating material in the shape of rectangular sheets,preferably of a height corresponding to the height of the vertical wallsand sides and the center portions of each sheet are pressed against thesheet metal wall to spring the sheets of insulating material into place.Natural resilience of the sheet insulating material will tend to pressthe side edges against the bolts I I.

By applying sheets of insulating material all around the interior of theside walls in this fashion, a structure is provided in which a curvedwall of sheet insulating material is formed. held securely in place byits own resilienceand stiflening the entire outer sheet metal wall.

Another layer comprising sheets I3 of plywood.-

pressed wood, or similar material may now be appliedv to the wall in amanner similar to thev application of the sheet insulating material. Inother words, sheets I9 of a height extending substantially the entiredistance of the vertical wall and of a width allowing just sufficienttolerance to t between the rows of bolts II in a curved posi. tion, maybe similarly notched along theirsides at points corresponding to thepositions of the bolts II, and sprung inwardly into place between thevertical rows of bolts. These sheets, referring to Figure 5, may benaturally fiat as shown in dotdash line, but when sprung into placebetween the rows of bdlts assume more or less of the curvature of theouter sheet metal wall made up of the sheets I0 and, of course, thesimilar curvature of the sheets I8 of insulating material.

The lower edges of the vsheets I6 and I9 rest on the outer upper surfaceof the floor sheets I1, thus giving a finished appearance to theinterior and assisting in maintaining a tightr joint at the base of theside walls.

As shown in Figure 9, the notched edges of the sheet insulating materialI8 and of the finish sheets I9 fit around the shanlcs of the bolts II sothat the edges of. the sheets I9 abut each other or practically meet, asmay be desired, presenting a smooth, pleasant .nish to the walls insidedisturbed only bythe ends of the inwardly pro- .jecting bolts II vandthe vertical seams where these sheets come together. Ii' desired,however, the sheets I8 and I9 may be sprung into placewithout notches intheir sides, thus leaving wider. seams between the sheets.

To cover the seams between the side wall sheets, vertical channelmembers 20, or other' in place securely by the nuts 22. The nuts 22 I I.These channel strips 20 thus cover the vertical seams Isa between theside edges of sheets I9 and, i addition, hold these-edges securely inplace against any accidental displacement.

Referring now to Figures 10, 11, 12 and 13, the channel sections 20 orother cover members may, if desired, be utilized to support shelves,cabinets and various other types of fixtures. Forv example, the faces ofthese channel strips 20 may be provided with a number of spaced keyholeor cross-shaped slots 23 and various fixtures may thus be secured inthese slots. For example, wall brackets 24 may be utilized having a pairof rearwardly projectingA ears 25,-26 with suitable pins 21, 28 pressedthrough openings in thek brackets, or welded in place at right angles tothe plane of the brackets 24. d y

By providing the pins 21 and 28 in a staggered position relative to eachother as illustrated, the ears 25, 26 and .the pin 21 may be inserted intwo adjacent cross-shaped slots 23 of the channel member 26 and thenallowed to drop down into a position in which the pin 21 pressesoutwardly against the inside of the channel strip 20 and the pin 284 isforced inwardly against the exterior thereof, thus holding the bracketplace. Y

These brackets maybe used for supporting shelves in a relatively fixed'position. For example, the brackets 24 may be provided with narrowvertical notches 28 to receive the down- 'wardly projecting portions ofangle members 30 fixed to the lower surface of shelves 3|. The shelves3| may thus be secured in place, being rigidly supported and heldagainst sliding movement toward or away from the wall structure.

lReferring now'to Figures v14 to 18, inclusive, the roof of the housingunit may be composed of a number of pie-shaped sections 32 of galvanizedsheet steel or other strong sheet mate-4 rial, connectedat their loweredges to the wall sheets I0 by means of the compound curved eavey sheets33.A These eave sheets 33 may conveniently be made as single stampingsof ganvanized sheet steel or other material curved to conform to thegeneral cylindrical shape of the side wall sheets IIJ and also curvedinwardly about a horizontal axis toward the center of the structure. Thesheets 33 may overlap the uppermost edges ofthe upper row of-sheets I Iland be bolted together, with a suitable sealing material therebetween ifdesired, by means of the relative short bolts 34 and the nuts 35. i Y

The roof sections32 are 4preferably formed along their side edges withraised ridges 36 so that they may bebolted together along these sideedges by means of the bolts 31 and the nuts 38. Since these bolts 31project through the roof sections 32 only at the top of the ridges 36, arelatively water-proof joint is provided, particularly if a sealingmeans such as asphaltum is applied between the overlapped portions. Thelower portion of the roof sections 32 may have the ridges 36 vtaperedoil to a flat surface, as shown at 39, and the lower edges of the roofsections 32 may be bent downwardly to provide flanges 40. The upperedges of the eave sheets 33 may be formed with corresponding flanges 4I,so that these two flanges can be bolted ltogether' in overlappingposition by means of the bolts 42 and nuts 43. l d

In order to insulate the roof, pie-shaped segments 44 of a suitablesheet insulating material may'be utilized corresponding in shape andsize to the individual roof sections 32 or to two or more of suchsections when bolted together. The side edges of these sheets 4I of roofinsu# lating material may be notched similar to the insulating sheets tot around the shanks of the inwardly projecting bolts 31, or if largersheets Il are used they may have holes to enable them to be pushed ilatagainst the roof with the bolts l1 projecting through the sheets. Thesesheets may be held in place by suitable cover strips I itting over theends oi the bolts 31 and secured by the nuts 45a. 'I'he cover strips .Ilpreferably extend downwardly and are curved, as at I6, so lthat theirlower edges fit in between the insulating sheets I8 and the nnish sheetsil of the side walls, as shown at 4l. This provides a convenient meansfor holding the insulating material Il in place .inside the curved feave sheets 33. r In order to provide the interior of the building withsuilicient light, a number of the root sections 32, for example everyalternate section, may be 4 provided with a suitable skylight 43. Asimple circular opening may be formed in these sheets 32 with the edgesthereof bent outwardly to form a cylindrical flange 50. An annularchannel trame Il may be made to llt over the ilange 50 4and havestretched over its exterior a suitable transparent or translucentmaterial. such as a sheet I2 of one of the transparent plastics known asCeloglassf The edge of this sheet oi' material is preferably curved downover the trame BI and held in place by an annular band of metal Ilpressed on over the outside of the light transmitting material 52 andframe 5|.

Angular tabs 54 may be provided with their vertical sides welded orotherwise secured to the frame Il, for removably securing theseskylightsto the roof by means of the rivets or bolts 55. If desired, the insideof the frame 5| may be filled with a suitable asphaltic water-prooilngmaterial beforethe skylight is secured in place. 'I'he insulating sheets4.4, of course, have suitable openings Il cut out to coincide with theseSkylishts, and frames may be applied to these openings inside thebuilding to conceal the edges of the openings in sheets 44. For example,an annular i'rame may be formed with the ilange 56a extending up intothe frame Il and with the llanges Nb covering the .edges of the openingin insulating sheets Il. 'I'hese frames may be simply pressed infn placendArotated until the tabs D Ic are caught under the'edses ot the coverStrips.

The roo! of the building may be provided at its :op with s suitableventilator. This vani-imo:

may include a vertical cylindrical rin'g 51 notched along its lower edgeso that the ridges It oi the roof sections 32 .may project therethrough.'Ihis cylindrical ring 51 may be secured to the upper ends oi' the roofsections 32 by means of suitable bolts or rivets Il. l

Projecting upwardly and outwardly from the ring I1 are a number ofbrackets It which have secured to .their inwardly inclined upper ends Iltlie lower edges of a one-piece conical sheet metal top Il. The outeredges of the brackets Il may have-'secured thereto a curved cowling l2extending a substantial distance above the lower edge of, the conicaltop Il and also extending down suiiiciently far to protect the upperends of the roof sections 32 from theweather. 'The cowling l2 may bestrengthened by a suitable rigid circular'A frame I3 at its top andasimilar circular frame il at its A-space is thus provided between thelower edge od.' the conical sheet tl and cowling 82, so that circulationof air, either upwardly o`r downwardly, may take place while rain andsnow is intercepted by the conical top 6I and deilected to drop down onthe roof sections 32 at a point below the upper edges.

Inside the ring Il and extending between the ring and the conical memberil is a cylindrical screen 65 which may be used to keep out insects.

With such a ventilator. it is desirable to provide special means forcontrolling the circulation oi air. To prevent too strong a draftupwardly or downwardly through the ventilator, a

.circular sheet of solid material. such as plywood.

pressed wood, or a suitable transparent or translucent material. forminga valve II may be held in the circular frame 81 and suspended by meansof a cable 68 from the top of the conical ventilator top 6I. Forexample, the cable may pass over a pulley 69 ailixed near theundersuriace of the conical ventilator member 6I. and another pulley 10may be provided to lead the cable down to a point where it can begrasped by a person inside the building to raise or lower the valve i6.Raising or lowering this ventilator valve, of course, controls theamount of air that is allowed to ilow in or out through the ventilator.

fIf desired. one end or cable 8l may be attached to a frame ll having asuitable collar arrangement 12 for attachment to valve 86. An electricfan 13 may thus be supported directly below the valve 86. Suitablelights 14 may also be provided in this suspension, if desired, tofurnish indirect lighting or a direct lighting if the valve 66 is made,of transparent or translucent material. Current for the ian and lightsmay be supplied through a flexible cable 'I5 from any suitable source(not shown).

The housing unit may also be provided with a suitable door 16 and anumber of windows l1 in the side. Because of the curvature of the sidewall, it is convenient to make the windows 11 circular in shape. y Forthis purpose, the middle row of sheetsi0 may have openings and flangesformed in them in a manner similar to the roof sections l2 that areprovided with shlights. Silitable window frames may be mounted in theseopenings and provided, if desired, with external shields 18. suitablyilxed orl removable screens may be iltted into the frames, and windowsarranged for opening. may be provided. The shields 1l aid in renderingthe windows tight and proof against the weather, and at the same timeserve as wind scoops when the windows are open to catch the cooler airoutside the building so that it will be drawn in and then carried upthrough the ventilator.

A suitable door frame may be formed by the angle bars 'Il and Il boltedaround the top, bottom and sides of the door opening to the edges of thesheets III by means of the bolts 82 and nuts I3. Atthe sides of the doorframe, channel bars 8|v lining the inside o! the door may-also be held`in place by the bolts l2 and nuts I3. This pro vides a framework to*receive the door 1, which is-hinged .in the usual manner` at one side asshown at 8l be provided with adjustable louvres I5 for ventilationwithout opening the door, and a suitable window II. l

It may also be desirable to provide a canopy for the door which may besupported by a partially circular frame l1 having its ends suitablyfing. 1). n desired,A the door may i secured to the vertical mus of inebuilding above the door frame. A layer of canvas, sheet metal or othersuitable material 98 may be secured to the frame 81 around its peripheryand secured to the wall of the building. preferably inside and sections92 while their outer enges are being secured and before the ventilatoris assembled.

under the lower edge of the sheet Ia just above the door frame.

Referring more particularly to Figures 22 and 23, the interior of thebuilding may be divided into a number of rooms by means -of movable allextended to the center of the building, the

three upper sections 92 may be connected to\ gether, as shown in dottedlines 94 in Figure 22,

to form a triangle in' the center of the building.

Suitable sliding bolts 95 and corresponding sockets may be provided forthispurpose. Avsmall triangular hallway is thus furnished, with doorsfrom each of the three rooms thus formed leading into this smallhallway. This provides a convenient way of passing from any one room toeither of the other two rooms. Various interior arrangements may beemployed, and the building is well adapted for other uses than-asadwelling. In the layout shown in Figure 22, however, the room 96 is akitchen with This temporary support may be easily made by boltingtogether inside the house ascaiolding composed of the channel bars 20.These bars are provided with numerous holes forboits and f aresufllciently strong to support the weightof the center of the roof.After the ventilator has been assembled in place, this scaiolding maybetaken down and the channel bars used for holding the side wall sheets I8and I9 in place.

A building constructed in accordance with my I invention may be used asa dwelling, but is also a stove or electric burners at 91, a suitablesink at 98, and a table and chair arrangement at 99. These xtures may bereadily attached to the channel bars 20 and supported thereby., The

room |00 is arranged as a bedroom with a suitient closets are formed at|06, |01, |00, |09 an It will be apparent that the external sheets I0forming the outer shell of the building will be cutout to providevsuitable openings. for the windows and door. Similarlmythe'sheetinsulating material It and the internal finish sheets I9 may be cut outto provide for the ldoor and iwindows.

in erecting a building of the construction illustrated, it may bedesirable to make a shallow excavation although, if the ground isreasonably level, -no excavation at all may be needed. The

lower tier of sheets I0 isrst assembled, being' ysecured together attheir ends-and held in place by suitable anchoring means such as theposts I3. The floor can then be laid directly on the ground or on anysuitable foundation by simply laying the diilerent layers of sheets -I4,I9 and I1,`and applying asphaltic or other sealing maf terial to thejoints as needed.

While the oor is being laid, or thereafter, the second and third tiers'of sheets I0 and the eave sheets 33 may be assembled. 'I'he roofsections or sheets 32 are next bolted in place, and for this operationit is desirable to provide some tema slight degree instead of lyingsubstantially at- Y porary support for-the inner ends of the roof 75well suited for-other uses. For example, abuilding 2Q feet in diameterwould have about 60 feet of wall space for shelves if the building isused for a store. Various other uses include schools, churches. waysideestablishments, camps, boathouses, etc.

The building is also ,easily adapted to military use, because it mayreadily be surrounded by a suitable wall of concrete poured after thebuilding is partially or completely erected and using the building wallas a part of the form.

Another modiiication of my invention is illustrated in Figures 24 to 33,inclusive, in which numeral IIB indicates side wall sheets similare.,

to the sheets |0 forming an external layer of the side walls of thelbuilding. In this case, however, the lower ledges of the combined roofand eave sheets or sections |||i are directly attached to the upperedges of the upper row. of sheets II5. Two horizontal -rows ofrthe`si'de w'all sheets I|5 are illustrated, although. a single row ofsuch sheets or any suitable number of rows may be employed, as desired.'These sheets are preferably` made of a relatively strong material, suchas a galvanized sheet steel, and may have horizontal corrugations forreinforcement. The sheets preferably overlap and are sealed at theirjoints with a suitable water-proof material such as an asphaltic mastic,as described in connec- 'tion with the -building shown in Figure l.

'I'he side sheets |I5 are also preferably bolted together in theposition illustrated in Figure 24 to form an outer shell for the house.Bolts-I I1 holding these sheets I|5 together may be secured in place bymeans of the nuts I I8, leaving asubstantial length of the bolt shanksvprojecting inwardly from the sheets II5.A To support the inner layerso`f the side walls and permit easy installation of these inner layersafter the outer shell of the house has been erected, collars I I9 of"suitable resilient material, such as rubber, may

|20 and the sheets |2| of suitable finishing material maybe fitted.

For example, the sheet insulating-material in the form of rectangularsheets |20 may be simply sprung into` place and forced in between therows of bolts ||1 -carrying the collars H9. The edges,

of the sheets |20 may be notched,y if desired, to'

fit around the collars II9, although notching 'is not `necessary toobtain a good fit of the sheets |20 with the extra tolerances providedby the resilient collars II9. The sheets of nishing material IZI, such.as plywood, pressed wood or other suitable materiaLmay be similarlysprung into place but are illustrated as-sprung only to against theinsulating sheets |20.

In' this manner, the resiliency of the sheets4 lar to the channelmembers 20, or other'vertical extending cover members, may be i'lttedover the ends of the bolts ||1 and secured inV place by means of thenuts |23.`

The roof sections can be formed from single sheets of suitable material,such as galvanized sheet steel, with raised ridges |24 along the sideedges of these pie-shaped segments, tapering oit to a -flat sheet nearthe lower edges of the sections, as indicated at |25. 'Ihe lowerportions of these roof sections or sheets are preferably curved, asillustrated at |20. about a substantially straight horizontal axis toform the building eaves. 'I'he lower edges of the sections H0 mayterminate at the lower end of this curve or be curved down in a sectionvas shown at |21 that is not curved about a horizontal axis. In eithercase, this lower edge should be curved about a vertical axis to conformto the curvature of the sheets H0. 'Ifhus, the lower portions of theroof sections ||0 are .either formed with a denite compound curve or arecurved first in one direction and then in another to producesubstantially the same eifect. This compound curve arrangement atthepeaves serves to stiifen and strengthen the side wall sheets. lli,and also simplifies the erection of the building, providing an externalconstruction of pleasing effect. with fewer horizontal seams 'or joints.f

A suitable number of roof sections ||0 are secured at their lower edgesin overlapping position to the upper edge of the sheets H5 by means ofsuitable bolts |20, and these individual roof sections i0 are boltedtogether along their sides with the ridges |24 overlapping. aspreviously described. Suitable asphaltic water-proof material may beused to seal these joints, ifs/desired, and skylights |29 may beprovided in the roof sections, as previously mentioned.

Under some conditions, it may be desirable to black-'out the interior ofthe building or shut di! the passage of light through one or more of theskylights |29. One convenient way of accomplishing this is to providecover plates |30 fastened to rods |3| extending along Vthe tops of theridges |24 and passim through the eye-bolts |32. Tltiese rods may extenddown to the eave' of the house and be formed at their ends with suitablehandles |33 to enable a person standing outside the house to rotatethecover plates |30 from a position covering the skyliihts |20 to aposition in which the cover plates |30 lie fiat onthe next roof section||0, as shown in dot-dash lines in Figure 30. f

Suitable insulating material may be provided underneath the roofsections I0, as illustrated at |34. This insulating material may be heldin place by cover strips |35 bolted to the roof sections H0. andoverlapping the edges of adjacent insulating sheets |34, as previouslydescribed.

. The'insulating sheets |34 may extend downwardly inside the curvedeaveportion of the roof sections ||6 and abut the upper edges ci'eertical insulating sheets |20. It a relatively compressible sheetinsulating material is employed, however, these roof insulating sheets|24 may ex, tend down far enough to overlap with the vertical sheets|20, and v,these sheets |20 and |34 where they overlap are simplycompressed together at the points where necessary between the outsidesheets H0 and the sheets |2| of finish material.

Referring now to Figure 32, the upper ends of the roof sections ||0 mayproject into an outwardly facing annular channelbar |30. Suitablesealing means, such as asphaltic material |31, may be applied around thechannel of this annular bar or ring to make a water tight constructions'A number; of brackets |30 may be bolted to the annular. bar |30 tosupport at their upper ends a conical ventilator t'op |33. This conicaltop preferably has, a downwardly extending flange |40 around its outeredge. A suitable cylindrical screen |4| may be provided between theupper edge of the annular channel bar |30 and the lower surface of theconical top |33.

Suspended from the top oi' the conical piece |30 is a rod |42, and anannular ring-|43 surrounding this rod may be suspended from the root bymeans of brackets |44 bolted to the roof sections ||0. This provides asimple support for movable .fabric partitions |45 (Figures 32 and 33).Each of these fabric partitions or curtains may be supported at theirinner end by a ring |40 [supported vfor rotation about the rod |42 bymeans of the nut and washer |4a. A second ring |41 may be provided toslide around on the ring |43 through an angle of approximately 120between two of the brackets |44.

At the sidewalls. the curtains |40 may be sup ported by suitable pulleys|40 removably attached to one of the vertical channel bars |22. Thesepulleys also carry a suitable cord |40 running through a number of ringsor loops |50 sewed or otherwise secured on the curtains |40 andextending down to the lower central corners |0| of; the curtains wherethe ends ofthese cords are attached to the curtains.

The curtain partitions |40 may thus be drawn back into a draped positionbysimply pulling the cords |40 until the curtains lie along the insideof the roof and against the side wall of the build-A ing.4 The pulleys|40 may be moved around and attached to any suitable channel bar |22 todivide .the room up into different sizes of rooms as may be required. fl

A valve or ventilator regulator |02 may be pro. vided underneath theconical ventilator top 4|30 with a collar |03 arranged to slide up 'anddown on the rod |42. This regulator or valve |02 may be raised orlowered by means bf a suitable cable.

or cord |54 running over the pulleys |00 and |00 and extending down totheY side wail within reach ot a person in the building. This form ofsliding ventilator regulator is simple to adjust and is not 4readilytipped or otherwise moved out of place by sudden up or down draftsthrough the ventilator.

Various other modifications oi' my invention will be readily apparent tothose skilled in the art.

A particular advantage of a building shaped like the embodiment shown inthe drawings is the marked ei'iiciency in heating. By reason of itsshape, wind currents do not burble but flow smoothly around the outsideof the building and do not carry away as much heat by convection as iscarried away from the ordinary building cf angular-shape. In addition,the heating systern may he centrally located so that the' heat isuniformly distributed throughout the buildingA interior. Y

The construction illustrated and described also provides a building thatcan be readily taken apart and moved to a new location without sub-Vstantial loss of materials. -At the saine time, the g use of .curvedwall segments makes this possible using relativelylight weightconstruction materials. Y

The construction and shape of the building that nest together and may bepacked into a .relatively small space for shipment.

The terms and expressions which I have employed are used asterms'ofdescription and not 3. A building wall comprising ,a curvedlayer o! sheet metal, and an inner layer of resilient sheet materialcomprising sheets sprung into a curved position to exertan outwardpressure on said sheet metal layer.

4. A building side wall comprising a curved layer of horizontallycorrugated sheet metal supporting substantially vertical rows of inlendsitself to the use of many duplicate parts of limitation, and I have nointentionin the use of such terms and expressions, of excluding anyequivalents 'of the features' shown and described or portions thereof,but recognize that various modications are possible within the scope oftheinvention claimed.

I claim: h

`1. A housing unit comprising substantially cylindrical side walls ofsheet material held together 'by tension members, and resilient sheetmaterial sprung into place inside said iirst mentioned sheet material toexert an outward pressurev thereagainst, and increase the rigidity ofsaid walls.

2. A housing unit comprising laminated curved side walls and roofconstituting an integrated shell that is self-supporting withoutframework or internalstress members, said curved side walls comprisingan outer layer of sheet metal, and inner layers of sheet materialssprung into and heldin a curved position conforming generally to thecurvature of said sheet metal so that said sheetmetal layer isstrengthened and held more rigidly in place.

wardly projecting members, an inner layer co'mprising sheets ofresilient insulating material sprung into place between said members,and

an inner layer comprising resilient finish sheet material sprung intoplace between said members.

5. A building wall comprising a curved layer of sheet metal, inwardlyprojecting members having resilient sides, and an inner layer ofresilient sheet material comprising a plurality of sucli sheets sprunginto place between the resilient sides lof said members.

6. A. building wall comprising an outer layer of sheet material havingapluralityl of vertical rows of inwardly extending members aixed. y

